Investigation launched into the spending of USAID funds in Bosnia and Herzegovina

(Patria) - Former US federal prosecutor Martin De Luca, who is part of the new US administration's team, said that an investigation has been launched in BiH into the spending of money through the USAID organization, and that initial information indicates that $402 million was spent in the past four years, of which $250 million cannot be accounted for.

"In the past four years, $402 million, through various programs, has been channeled into BiH, and of that, $150 million can be justified. Some $250 million remains unaccounted for. This is the money of American citizens," De Luca told reporters in Banja Luka.

He says that he and his team are already investigating the operations of the USAID organization, and that money has been spent similarly around the world, raising suspicions of corruption.

"President Trump is very determined to examine and investigate everything that has happened as soon as possible. There are no project descriptions and it is unclear where $250 million ended up in BiH," De Luca stated.

He says that from all this, it can be concluded that criminal activities were part of the operations of this organization, which is funded by American taxpayers.

"All responsible persons, whether they are US citizens or foreign nationals, should be brought to justice," De Luca said.

He expressed gratitude for the cooperation of the authorities in Republika Srpska, stating that the hardest part is obtaining evidence.

"In this situation, our partnership with local authorities is of great importance in order to find out where the funds were spent," De Luca concluded.